Can opener and closure



C. C. REDMOND.Y CAN OPENER AND CLOSURE. YAPPLICATION FILED APR.12. 1919.

l1,31 6,508. Panted sept. 16, 1919.

S2/@Minnow a and' UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES o. REDMOND, or Los ANGELES, oALiEoRNiA, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALE To ALEXANDER M. ELEISHER, 0E Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CAN OPENER AND cLosURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 16, 1.919.

Application filed April 12` 1919. Serial No. 289,573.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES C. REDMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can Openers and Closures, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to can openers and has for its object the provision of a device adapted for use in connection with cans such as cans of evaporated milk in which it is necessary, in order to remove the contents, to punch two holes, one for pouring out the contents and the other to permit the entrance of air, the construction of the device beingsuch that at one operation two holes are punched and that when the can is standing idle the penetrating members used for punching may be inserted within the punched holes to form closures therefor to exclude dust and dirt and to prevent access by flies or other insects.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character which includes a circular cover` having a depending flange and which is adapted to be engaged upon the top of the can to be punched, the penetrating members being carried by this cover and the cover serving to exclude dust and dirt even though the penetrating members be not engaged within the punched holes.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character which will be very simple and' inexpensive in manufacture,

highlyeiiicient and durable in use, sanitary Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designates a cylindricalV can, for instance an evaporated milk can. My device comprises a cylindrical cover member 20 which is formed as a circular plate having a depending flange 21.

The cover 20 is provided at its center with an upwardly extending cylindrical post 22 terminating in an enlarged head 23. The

.cover is also provided at diametrically opwhereupon the points of the penetrating members 26 will merely rest upon the top of the can and the bar 25 will loe-disposed substantially in contact with the underside of the head 23 on the post 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The operator then presses upon the knobs 27 and forces the penetrating' members 26 through the top of the can whereupon the bar or strip 25 will slide downwardly upon the guide post 22 and into engagement with the top of the cover 20. When the cover and its associated parts are subsequently removed two holes will be left inthe top. When the can is not in use, the cover is replaced and the members 26 redisposed within the holes in the can, as in the first described form.

From the foregoing description vand a study of the drawings it will be seen that I have provided a device which is very simple, which is inexpensive, and which may be quickly and easily used for punching a pair of spaced holes in the top of a can, which will also serve as means for closing the holes when the can is not in use to prevent access of dust, dirt and insects, and which will as a consequence be sanitary and eliicient in use.`

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the rightto make such changes in the form, construction, and arrangementof parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of its subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A Vdevice of the character described comprising a Hanged' e'nver adapted for' en-f gagement upon the top of a can, an upstanding post at the center of said cover, a transverse bar slidably associated with said post, and a pair of penetrating members carried by the ends of said bar and-extending through openings formed in said cover.

2. Adeviee of the character described .comprising a eover provided with a ange and adapted for concentric engagement upon the top of the can, an upstanding post `bar adjacent the ends thereof, said penetrating members extending toward the free edge of said fia-nge, and knobs on the ends of said bar serving as hand engaging members,

said cover being provided With holes for the 20 passage of, said penetrating members.

In testimony Whereoiil afflX my signature.

, CHARLES (J. REDMOND.. 

